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Design
National Endowment
Design
Competition
for the
Arts
Manual
Arts
Program
VISION
THE CENTER FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN
AND EDUCATION
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
FIRST PRINTING
JUNE 1980
Introduction
Competition. The word evokes the image of sprinters
lined up for the lOO yard dash or figure skaters pitted
against one another before a panel of judges.
Athletic competitions symbolize more than the pursuit
of individual achievement; they stress the special
human quality of competitive spirit which inspires the
commitment and self-discipline of athletes who train
to perform before a cheering public.
Design competitions can also foster an exceptional
spirit which inspires participants to surpass their own
limits and those of their peers. As with athletic compe-
titions, design competitions enable emerging, less
experienced talent to compete with more established
professionals. The innovative designs that have been
developed are proof that competition promotes
design excellence. We can look at the St. Louis Arch,
the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Australia's Sidney Opera House
and the British Houses of Parliament to find a few
products of design competitions which have become
symbols of entire cities and cultures.
Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, in St. Louis,
Missouri of 1965 was the result
of a design competition won
by Eero Saarinen. This arch,
which memorializes Jefferson's
Louisianna Purchase, is also a
contemporary interpretation
of the arch of Roman architec-
ture which Jefferson admired
and used.
The National Endowment for the Arts has been
encouraging civic organizations and public agencies
to consider sponsoring design competitions to seek
alternative solutions to community problems and
select designers and designs for cultural facilities, civic
buildings, and parks. This publication of the National
Endowment for the Arts Design Arts Program has been
prepared to help prospective sponsors determine
what kind of activities are appropriate for design
competitions. The book discusses the advantages of
competitions, the types of competitions, the ways in
which a design competition can be organized, and
some of the major concerns inherent in this type of
undertaking.
The National Endowment for the Arts has a special
responsibility to artists and arts organizations in
America. The Endowment has been one of the major
forces in the enormous increase in the number of arts
organizations. Since 1965, when the Endowment was
created, ten times more dance companies, four times
more resident theater groups and twice as many
opera companies have come into being across the
United States.
Capital funds for the design and construction of new
or renovated facilities to house the arts have become
increasingly scarce. The use of design competitions to
raise public awareness about this critical need is
potentially one of the more productive ways of
generating capital resources as well as attracting
excellence in design. It is our firm belief that the design
quality of that which shelters the arts should be as
excellent as the art form it houses.
The Endowment's Design Arts Program has prepared
this introduction to Design Competitions in the hope of
stimulating the use of this tool for better places,
spaces and settings for the arts and civic activities in
our nation. We recognize that Design Competitions
are not appropriate to all undertakings but feel that
this tool has not often been used recently in cases
where it might have greatly improved the design
quality of our built environment.
Special appreciation and acknowledgement is due
Lance Jay Brown, Coordinator of the Design Excel-
lence project, his staff, and all who contributed their
time and energy in the production of this manual.
Michael John Pittas
Director
Design Arts Program
1 2 3 4
What is a What are What Types How are
Design the Purposes of Design Design
Competition? of a Design Competitions Competitions
Competition? can be Organized?
Sponsored?
pagel page 2 page 3 page 7
Contents:
5 6 7 8
How are How are What are the What Makes
Design Design Costs of a Design
Competitions Competition Design Competition
Initiated? Winners Competitions? Successful?
Selected?
page 13 page 15 page 17 page 18
1 . What is a Design Competition?
Design competitions have been a way of creating
innovative approaches to design needs since the
fourth century B.C. in Athens, Greece. Western culture
has always pursued growth and creativity through the
competitive spirit under the assumption that by pitting
the skills and intelligence of one individual or team
against another, a higher standard of excellence will
result. Just as competition has continually raised the
level of athletic achievements and prompted business
innovation, design competitions have consistently pro-
duced innovative designs for public buildings, furniture,
public art, recreational facilities and cultural centers.
In the United States, the competition system in design
has existed since the early days of the Republic.
The most widely known Federal competitions
awarded the design of the White House to James
Hoban and the National Capitol Building to Dr. William
T. Thornton. In the 1930s, the government promoted
local and nationwide competitions to select sculptors
and muralists for Federal buildings. Even designs
judged outstanding which failed to win the
competition often reappeared later in elements of
other buildings.
Today, many communities utilize competitions for the
design of cultural and civic developments. A wide
range of creativity can be tapped to produce a new
graphics image, furnish a special room or find an
appropriate theme for a public sculpture.
4
It t I I I llllt!
National Capital Building
The advertisement for the
competition of a National
Capitol Puilding appeared in
April 1792. In NovemPer of that
year the Commissioners
accepted a new entry which
had the support of Washington
and Jefferson. It was sub-
mitted by Dr. William Thornton
who was educated in England
but untrained in architecture.
The cornerstone was laid by
Washington in September 1793
but the building was not com-
pleted until 1828 using a much
altered design Py Charles
Bullfinch.
pagel
2. What are the Purposes of a
Design Competition?
There are four broad reasons to promote a design
competition. Very often the sponsor has a need which
is not fully defined. An idea competition can seek
ideas or concepts for a design without demanding
technical details, models, and final products.
Many competitions are run to design a specific
product: a building, a park, a dress, a chair, a logo, etc.
Specific product competitions set forth far greater
detailed needs than idea competitions and are the
appropriate choice when the sponsor knows a great
deal about the final desired product.
Sometimes a design competition is run primarily to
select a designer or design team, even before the
final design is decided upon. Such a competition
focuses on the credentials of the competitors outside
of their particular ideas for the eventual project.
A project sponsored by a civic organization or public
agency which requires public support and participation
can particularly benefit from a design competition. A
well-run competition can generate wide public
awareness and involvement from conception to
implementation. If a capital fund-raising drive is
necessary, a competition can promote public interest
and support. In such cases, competitors should be
aware of this goal from the outset. Civic buildings such
as city halls, museums, auditoriums and convention
centers, and public open spaces such as parks, plazas
and pedestrian trails lend themselves well to
competitions.
Boston City Hall
In I960 Boston held a national
competition for the design of
a new City Hall. Its program
afforded the competitors an
in-depth introduction to the
city they would be building in.
Employing a text that was sen-
sitive to the environmental
impact issue, the Program
attracted 250 entries. The
winning design was by Kail-
man, McKinnell and Knowles of
Boston.
page 2
3. What types of Design
Competitions can be sponsored?
Once the goals and purposes have been established,
a sponsor may select from a variety of formats for
organizing a competition. There are five generic
types, each having special characteristics which may
make one better suited to a sponsor's particular
needs and resources than another.
1. An Open Competition is open to all qualified com-
petitors and is the simplest to plan. It is particularly
appropriate where the sponsor is seeking the widest
possible range of response' and participation. Because
of the variety this format encourages, it may be par-
ticularly appropriate for an idea competition or for the
development of design concepts for a specific
product. It is not useful where special expertise or
highly technical knowledge are essential.
An open competition requires the greatest amount of
time to execute. The sponsor must advertise widely in
the professional media and allow time for every pos-
Copley Square
In the mid-1960s a one stage
national design competition
was jointly sponsored by the
City of Boston, the Boston
Redevelopment Authority, the
Back Bay Council, and the
Back Bay Planning and Devel-
opment Corporation. The
setting for the design is distin-
guished by Richardson's Trinity
Church and McKim Mead and
White's Boston Public Library.
The winning design was sub-
mitted by Sasaki, Dawson and
Demay and created a space
from two triangular sites and
an intersecting avenue.
page 3
sible interested party to respond. It is not unusual for
an open competition to take a year to complete, but
this limitation may be offset by the likelihood of a rich
variety of responses from which to choose.
2. Pre-Qualification Competitions are conducted
when a sponsor wishes to invite only qualified com-
petitors to enter, and the first response to the compe-
tition is only a presentation of qualifications and
credentials. This usually involves a portfolio review of
past accomplishments and personal interviews with
prospective competitors. Those applicants found
eligible will then be asked to enter the design phase
of the competition. It is appropriate when a
particular type of competitor is sought (e.g. all
students), or little time is available and geographical
limits will ensure a faster response.
The sponsor can rely on a professional advisor or
advisory board to examine applicant credentials, con-
duct the interviews, and select the final competitors. It
is critical in a pre-qualification competition to use a
common yardstick for the review of credentials and
qualifications and to have pre-established evaluation
criteria before the selection process begins.
Piazza d'ltalia
The idea for the development
of the site of the present
Piazza d'ltalia came from New
Orlean's Italian community.
The Mayor's Office organized
a limited invitational competi-
tion in two phases by con-
tacting 60-70 national firms
and then choosing 6 firms to
submit final proposals. A cre-
ative and memorable joint
venture was established with
the winning firm, August Perez
and Associates of New
Orleans ana the runner-up,
Urban Innovations Group of
Los Angeles with its principal,
Charles Moore.
3. An Invited Competition is the most conservative
approach to design competitions. Invited competi-
tions ensure that each design competitor has the
proper professional credentials and a demonstrated
capacity to execute the projects. A professional
advisor or advisory committee can prepare a roster
of competitors based on research and the advice of
local or state design arts societies. In this controlled
situation, the sponsor often gives up the innovation
potential of an open competition for an established
designer or design team.
page 4
4. Staged Competitions combine characteristics of
open and invited competitions, assuring both diverse
participation and the final selection of highly qualified
designers. This type of competition is conducted in at
least two phases. In the first, an open design competi-
tion is held and entries are evaluated. From the stage
one review, a number of competitors are selected for
further consideration or competition.
In stage two, the sponsor may select a group of
winners on the basis of a review of qualifications and
personal interviews with stage-one finalists, or the
sponsor may ask the stage-one finalists to refine their
initial design ideas and solutions in a second round of
design competition.
It is customary in a staged competition for the sponsor
to offer compensation to the participants selected for
the second stage. The compensation is approximately
equivalent to the prevailing professional rate for
similar design services.
Minnesota State Capitol Annex
In early 1976 the Minnesota
State Capitol Building Authority
offered an AlA-approved
design competition for a "ter-
ratectural" office building
annex to the State Capitol
Building in St. Paul. The compe-
tition was open to all archi-
tectural firms in the U.S. Of the
256 entries the firm of Dellinger/
Lee Associates, Charlotte,
North Carolina was selected
as one of the five finalists. Their
design seeks to preserve the
integrity of the Capitor while
allowing for sympathetic
orderly growth.
page 5
5. On-Site Charette Competitions are a variation of
the pre-qualification competition. A roster of potential
competitors is selected on the basis of a review of
qualifications and experience, and they are then
asked to convene at the project site for a specified
time period to create their designs on-site. The most
important advantage of this type of competition is
the guarantee to the competitors of equal time,
equal circumstances, equal exposure, and equal
access to information.
Charette competitions have been conducted in Prov-
incetown, Massachusetts, for the design of the
Eugene O'Neill Theater and Archives, and in San Fran-
cisco, California, for the Fort Mason Center.
These competitions achieved a high degree of
effective community participation in the development
of final design solutions.
An organization wanting to sponsor a design competi-
tion may find that its special purposes and project
requirements do not fall into any one of these five
generic types. It is always possible to combine one or
more types to fit individual needs.
Eugene O'Neill Playhouse
In March of 1977 the Eugene
O'Neill Playhouse was
destroyed by a fire set by
teenage arsonists. The theater
company was totally wiped
out with the costumes, sets,
lights, and historical collection
gone. Through the intervention
of Adele and Lester Heller and
the assistance of William
Marlin, the National Endow-
ment for the Arts was
approached for help. The
resulting grant idea was a
New England design compe-
tition which would bring the
competitors to Provincetown
for several days to devise a
new design. The Arts Endow-
ment gave a $20,000 grant
to the non-profit organization,
Provincetown Playhouse on
the Wharf, Inc. to support the
competition and ultimately
enable the winning firm to pro-
vide design development
services. During the seven-day
on-site competition, the seven
design teams worked in the
same space. Every afternoon,
the citizens of Provincetown
were invited to visit the site of
the competition and discuss
with the architects their
designs as they evolved.
page 6
4. How are Design Competitions
Organized?
To properly organize and execute a design competi-
tion requires a significant commitment of time, not
only by the sponsoring organization but often from a
broad constituency of civic groups as well. Support in
the administration and execution of the competition
by public officials, design professionals, and members
of the community may be critical to the success of a
design competition. A prospective sponsor should
contact local chapters of design societies, local or
state arts councils, or the National Endowment for the
Arts, Design Arts Program for technical assistance.
Appendix 1 provides a list of organizations to contact
for further information.
In a design competition, the sponsor challenges com-
petitors to solve a design problem and gives them a
specific set of rules and regulations under which the
competition will be conducted. This document, called
a competition program, sets forth the goals of the
project, the program for the design, and the basic
information necessary to understand the scope of the
problem.
Competitors are given a fixed amount of time to
create and present a design solution for the problem
stated in the competition program. Competitors sub-
mit their projects to the sponsor for evaluation by a
review panel called an awards jury. The jury, usually
made up of peer professionals and informed citizens,
is responsible for the selection of a winner or winners.
Each submission is judged by the jury according to
predetermined criteria such as functionality, feasibility,
creativity, and quality. A winner is selected and
awarded a competition prize. The prize is usually
a predetermined cash amount or a contract for
design services.
Orderly procedures are essential to design competi-
tions, and should be established from the outset. A rig-
orous but realistic schedule is pivotal to a smooth
operation and the eventual satisfaction of all partici-
pants, particularly as it ensures equal treatment for all.
Small regional competitions will require a schedule of
several months, while national or international compe-
titions may require up to a year's time or more. Invited
competitions usually take less time than open compe-
titions, idea competitions less time than product
competitions, and single-stage competitions less time
than two stage competitions.
page 7
For planning purposes, most competitions run in the
following phases:
I. Preliminary Planning
1. Goal setting
2. Fact finding
3. Appointment of a professional advisor
4. Set up an advisory board
II. Competition Planning
1. Develop the competition program and rules
2. Design project budget
3. Determine awards and prizes
4. Select an awards jury
5. Develop procedures for the documentation
and handling of projects and awards
III. Competition Initiation
1. Public announcement of the competition
2. Receipt of applications and fees
3. Mail program to competitors
4. Respond to questions
IV. Design Stage
1. Preparation of design submissions by
competitors
2. Receipt review and display of submissions
by the sponsor
V. Awards Jury Proceedings
1. Examination of design submissions by the
professional advisor
2. Selection of a winner by awards jury
VI. Announcements
1. Award prizes and contracts
2. Prepare press releases and publications of
competition results
VII. Follow-up
1. Return design submissions to competitors
2. Contract with winners as necessary
3. Implement the project
page 8
Washington Monument
In 1833 a National Monument
Society sponsored a private
competition to honor the first
president. They selected the
obelisk by Robert Mills for the
site indicated by L'Enfant, on
his 1791 plan. Lack of funds and
the Civil War intervened but
the lofty, dignified form was
completed in 1885.
Professional Advisor
The sponsor may elect to hire an individual or design
firm to manage the competition should the scope
and technical requirements of the competition go
beyond the resources of the sponsor. Such a profes-
sional advisor should be fully qualified to write the
program regulations, assemble pertinent documents,
answer competitor questions, and assist in the selec-
tion of award jury members.
As someone familiar with design competitions, the
advisor should evaluate proposals for eligibility and
compliance with regulations, supervise the jury delib-
erations and publicize the competition results. Com-
petition documentation, care and handling of the
submissions and other administrative tasks would all
be centralized in this way. The professional advisor
may also advise the sponsor on contractual matters
pertinent to running a competition. If the competition
is sponsored by a public agency, the advisor must
maintain close communication with interested gov-
ernment agencies, public officials and community
groups.
The professional advisor is usually a paid position.
While the advisor's role is often time-consuming, it can
greatly expedite the competition process. In addition
to management and public relation skills, a profes-
sional advisor ideally should have previous competi-
tion experience, a facility for balancing diverse
interests, and a working knowledge of what consti-
tutes the design process.
Presently, no single group of professionals has
developed an expertise as professional competition
advisors. An advisor might be recruited from the ranks
of practicing design professionals, design school pro-
fessors, related professionals with acknowledged
experience, or in certain cases, enlightened citizens
well versed in the fields of design. Since this person
must be a neutral mediator between the sponsor,
awards jury and competitors, the professional advisor
should not be a regular employee of the sponsor or
associated with any potential competitor.
page 9
Advisory Board
A sponsor may wish to appoint a competition
advisory board either in lieu of or in addition to the
professional advisor. An advisory board is particularly
useful in competitions run by public agencies where
broad public interest and support are sought. They
are also useful in larger competitions where profes-
sional management expertise and accountability are
paramount concerns.
Saginaw Avenue Mural
Cooperative
In 1976 Architect Jeff Ober-
dorfer grew tired of looking at
600 feet of ugly wall surface
which formed the back of a
local shopping center in Porter
Sguare, Cambridge, Massa-
chusetts. A working model of a
mural which depicts a row of
houses in the neighborhood
was composed by Oberdorfer.
It was meant to reflect the
bright colors and interesting
silhouette of the homes in the
neighborhood. He submitted
his proposal to the Cambridge
Art Council's Quality of Life
Competition and won a cash
prize of SIOOO.
As a working board, the members should generally
not exceed seven people. Board members should
represent the variety of interests and have knowledge
of the technical areas dictated by the scope of the
competition. As a general rule, it would be helpful to
have the following as members on an advisory board:
an attorney to advise on pertinent legal considera-
tions and to assist in preparation of the competition
program and entry requirements; members of inter-
ested community groups and associations; a repre-
sentative of local government; and at least one local
design arts professional. Other professionals with perti-
nent disciplinary skills might be included such as engi-
neers, cost estimators, ecologists, hydrologists, or
historians.
pagelO
Preparing a Competition Program
The competition program is the most important
component of a well-managed competition. Special
care and attention to details during the preparation
of the program usually save many hours of time during
later phases of the competition.
The program must clearly state the competition
objectives, set forth the rules of eligibility, and clearly
define the sponsor's commitment to the results of the
competition. The program should specifically set the
deadline for submissions; the schedule of competition
events; the mode of design presentation; and the role
and the responsibilities of the professional advisor,
jury, and the sponsor. The amount of money awarded
for all prizes, the terms of employment of the winner
(if applicable), and the ownership and use of entries
are key issues that are often overlooked in program
preparation.
A competition program must also spur the imagina-
tion and build the enthusiasm of prospective compet-
itors, thereby eliciting a range of creative proposals.
To do this, a project description should be included
which provides the applicant with a detailed under-
standing of the project's objectives, functions, dimen-
sional requirements, budget, and other design criteria
proposed by the sponsor. This section of the program
should use visual material such as: maps of the project
area (current and historical), photographs of the
projects context, and pertinent planning information.
All parties to a competition must recognize that the
competition program implies certain contractual
agreements between the sponsor, professional
advisor, awards jury, and competitors. The program
sets forth the basis of conduct for all participants,
and therefore must be carefully thought out during its
preparation.
Competition programs range from bare bones lists of
requirements to detailed documents with very spe-
cific regulations. Although the forms vary widely, all
programs should have one essential ingredient: abso-
lute clarity of purpose with a clear statement of the
roles and responsibilities of all participants.
Appendix 3 outlines the competition program for the
Portland Pioneer Square Competition.
page 11
f^gpp*.
Trinity Church
An invited competition was
held by the members of the
Old South End Episcopal Parish
for their new Church in
Boston's Back Bay. The winner
of the competition was Henry
Hobson Richardson whose
office had begun preliminary
designs in the spring of 1872.
The church did not actually
get under extensive construc-
tion until 1874 when Richardson
moved to Brookline, Massa-
chusetts. The grand edifice on
Copley Square eventually
became one of the great
watersheds of American archi-
tecture in that it firmly estab-
lished the Romanesque
Revival.
page 12
5. How are Design Competitions
Initiated?
Once the preliminary planning is complete and the
program has been finalized, sponsors initiate the
design competition by calling for entries from com-
petitors. Once alerted, design competitors will contact
the sponsor to register for the competition and to
seek further information. Competitors may be
required to fill out an official application form, supply
requested particulars, and pay a registration fee. The
fee may be set to cover at least some of the cost of
advertising the competition and producing and dis-
tributing the program. A registration fee can help
encourage only the serious competitor, but it should
remain nominal or less affluent designers may feel
prohibited from competing.
A local or regional competition is often initiated by
advertising in the local press or by direct mailing of
the design competition program to a list of local
design arts professionals. Such a list can be prepared
by the sponsor or advisory board with the assistance
of local design societies. Announcements of a
national or international competition, by contrast,
require an extensive invitation period to be effective.
The national press, professional design journals, and
national design society bulletins require two or four
months before an announcement of a design compe-
tition can be printed and distributed. After the
registration period ends, a list of qualified applicants is
developed by the advisory board or professional
advisor to whom the competition program and all
other pertinent information is then mailed.
After the program mailing, most competitions estab-
lish a specific period for Questions and Answers. To
ensure fairness and equity, the sponsor or professional
advisor must send all answers simultaneously to all
applicants with the identity of the questioner kept
anonymous.
In an invited competition, sponsors may elect to hold
a meeting with selected competitors before the
design phase begins. Depending upon the particular
situation, it may also be beneficial for invited compet-
itors to meet with the public to learn of community
concerns relevant to the proposed project.
The design development phase of the competition
must allow competitors ample time to analyze the
competition problem and develop creative and prac-
tical solutions. If the project necessitates specific site
analysis, sufficient time should be provided for travel
and field inspection.
During the design phase, the sponsor is responsible for
the receipt and handling of all entries and for guar-
anteeing the safety of the drawings, models, and
other design components. The sponsor must also pro-
vide ample storage space and insurance for compe-
page 13
tition materials. Finally, all respondents should be
notified that their proposals have been received by
the sponsor.
If the competition is best served by the anonymity of
design proposals, this can be ensured in the following
ways:
1) a sealed envelope containing the respondent's
name can be placed on the back of drawings and
models;
2) a competitor can be issued a code number
during the initial application process. All proposals are
then marked with the applicant's code number.
3) each competitor can select a symbol and register
it on the competition application. The symbol is then
placed on all proposal components.
The Cambridge Arts Council announces the first
URBAN STAGES
URBAN SITES
For individual performers or groups,
For artists, architects, planners,
including poets, musicians, composers.
designers and individual citizens
dancers, choreographers, vocatists.
neighborhood groups.
instrumenta&sts, mtmes, actors and
Choose one or two of these categories.
playwrights. All anginal works submitted
should be planned for perfonnartce
1, Fbrks and Playgrounds
between July and December, 1976.
B. Hidden Spaces
Dates and locations of all performances
must be specified with priority; given
IS. Forgotten Places
to such public spaces as:
TV intersections
1, Schools, neighborhood organizations
U Urban Jewels
and open spaces Jn Cambridge,
An opcncategart/foffowilalnt.
2. Public. phuatearKieldetiy housing.
S^X cnfranrchc^fco**,,,
3. Cambridge Cdy Hdl and Annex,
4. MWdlesec County Courthouse
ELlGIBILnY: Open to dl who live or work
in Cambridge and others Entrantsare
ELIGIBILITY: Open to aH who Hue or work in
kmied to two categories but may submit
Cambridge At least two performances should lake
designs for more than one site
place between July and December. 1976.
in categories chosen
SEE OTHER SIDE FG
X FURTHER DETAILS
Deadline June 15. Winners announced July l.Mmnum prize $1,000 in cash.
Quality of Life Competition
In 1975 the Cambridge Arts
Council was created, starting
with a $25,000 National
Endowment for the Arts Grant
which was matched by the
City of Cambridge with Com-
prehensive Employment Train-
ing Act (CETA) funds. The
Council decided to hold two
environmental design compe-
titions which invited proposals
"that would create a more
joyous and livable
Cambridge'.'
One competition was open to
artists, architects, planners,
designers and neighborhood
groups to create environ-
mental designs for selected
urban sites. Entries were
divided into the following cat-
egories: 1. Parks and Play-
grounds, 2. Hidden Spaces,
3. Forgotten Places, 4. Inter-
sections, 5. Urban Jewels. The
other competition was for
Urban Stages, open to indi-
vidual performers or groups,
including poets, musicians,
composers, dancers, choreog-
raphers, vocalists, instrumental-
ists, mimes, actors, and play-
wrights. The minimum prize
offered for each winner was
SIOOO in cash. The Council
received 170 entries.
OTY SPWIT' GftANT FROM THE r
page 14
6. How are Design Competition
Winners Selected?
To attract the best participants, any competition must
be evaluated competently and fairly by a field of
experts in the relevant design field. Therefore, a jury
must be carefully selected.
Although an awards jury should be composed primar-
ily of design arts professionals in the relevant discipline,
it should be balanced by several non-designers
representing other interest groups and expertise. Arts
administrators, local government officials, or local
business representatives often make excellent
representatives on awards juries. Again, to ensure
fairness, jurors should not be associated with the
sponsoring organization or any potential competitor.
Jurors should be selected not only for their general
experience and overall reputation, but also for their
personal interest in, and familiarity with, the subject
matter of the competition. Candidates for the jury
should be provided with a clear statement of their
functions and responsibilities. They will need to read
the competition program carefully to understand the
competition goals and requirements before accept-
ing the invitation of the sponsor.
Guidelines for the selection of a winning proposal
should be outlined for the awards jury at the outset of
the competition. Design review criteria may be pro-
vided by the sponsor to the jury or the jury may be
instructed to develop its own review criteria as long as
they conform to the rules and specifications of the
program.
White House
Thomas Jefferson was suc-
cessful in persuading President
Washington to use design
competitions for the Capitol
and the President's House. The
first prize for the President's
House went to Irish-born archi-
tect James Hoban. He
employed a Palladian design
which was inspired by the
English architect James Gibbs.
page 15
Design Review
Each entry, upon receipt, should be examined by the
professional advisor or advisory board to make sure
that all technical requirements and other specifica-
tions detailed in the program have been satisfied. In
certain cases competitors may supply incomplete or
excessive material. At this point such entries should be
disqualified by the sponsor or delegates. The sub-
missions can then be prepared for display and
reviewed by the jury and perhaps the general public.
Jury deliberations can be, and in some states are
required to be, open to the public. For example, the
Minnesota II, National Terratecture Competition, held
for the design of an addition to the Minnesota State
Capitol Building in 1976, had an open review
procedure.
Jury deliberations can be time consuming, and the
method of selection is often a gradual screening of
inadequate or inappropriate solutions. As the field of
proposals narrows, the debate over style and philos-
ophy will increase. Ultimately, a series of votes may be
taken and a winner will be selected. The jury then
informs the sponsor and professional advisor of its
choice.
The jury's decision should be documented by a report
to the professional advisor or sponsor. The jury report
should state the objectives of the competition, the
design review criteria used in evaluation of submis-
sions, the method of selection, the comments of the
jurors, and the votes leading to the final decision.
Contested decisions should be noted and minority
opinion reports included.
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Kite Competition and Festival
Over the past twelve years,
the Great Boston Kite Festival
has grown to be the third
largest kite festival in the
world, surpassed only by India
and Japan. In 1979, 10,000
people participated in the
open competition. In recent
years, the Design Kite
Competition for design
professionals has drawn kite
designers or would-be
designers from all over the
world. Their challenge is to
make the largest kite that can
fly.
page 16
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was con-
structed as the symbol of the
Paris Exposition of 1889 which
commemorated the Centen-
nial of the Storming of the
Bastille in the French Revolu-
tion. The design competition
for the tower was sponsored
by the French Government
which viewed the construction
of the Exposition as a good
way to prevent a major
national strike, which eventu-
ally occurred in 1900. In all,
700 entries were submitted
including one fantastic pro-
posal for an enormous tower
which would shower water at
regular intervals on the City of
Paris. Gustav Eiffel, already
celebrated for his bridges and
viaducts, incorporated an 1884
design for a 300 meter tower
by Maurice Koechlin and Emile
Nouguier into his 1886 design.
7. What are the Costs of Design
Competitions?
The dollar costs of competitions vary widely
according to the type of competition, the program
complexity and number of competitors. For a sand-
castle competition, such as the one held each spring
at Steep Hill Beach, north of Boston, the dollar costs
are minimal.
The Royal Institute of British Architects has estimated
the costs involved in the preparation, advertising,
running, judging, and publicizing a design competition
for a building usually amount to less than one-half of
one percent of the construction costs for the entire
project. This total competition cost is roughly equiv-
alent to the normal professional fees for schematic
designs. (See Appendix 2 for a list of competition cost
areas.)
During the 1979 competition for the Fort Mason Cul-
tural Center in San Francisco, eight design teams were
invited to a three-day on-site competition to design a
cultural complex for an abandoned wharf. Each
participating team was given a $1,000 honorarium to
cover time and expenses. According to the Fort
Mason sponsor, the actual value of the professional
services rendered by the competitors exceeded by
many times the cost to the sponsor. The on-site
presence of these designers generated invaluable
design concepts.
While the costs of running a design competition do
not have to be exorbitant, finding funding sources can
be difficult. For non-profit organization, grants can be
obtained from federal agencies such as the National
Endowment for the Arts or the Department of Housing
and Urban Development, from state art agencies, or
from local philanthropic foundations. For a private
sponsor, the cost of a competition can be absorbed
as business overhead or a public relations expense.
page 1 7
8. What Makes a Design
Competition Successful?
An essential ingredient in the success of a design
competition is an appropriate sense of timing. A
clearly stated, tautly structured, strictly enforced
schedule is essential to assure the competitors that
their tremendous intellectual and emotional invest-
ment is worthwhile. The second characteristic is
clarity; clarity in the definition of goals, clarity in the
delineation of the competition process leading to the
achievement of the goals, and clarity in the release of
pertinent information.
And, finally, the most essential ingredient of all
competitions is fairness. While the stopwatch for the
lOO-yard dash does not lie, the appraisal of quali-
tative factors such as style, degree of artistic difficulty,
and the depth of creativity poses a unique and chal-
lenging problem. The evaluation of design ultimately
demands an exercise, in human judgement. Compet-
itors must be assured that all entries will be evaluated
equally and fairly.
Annual Boston Sandcastle
Competition
The competition is sponsored
by the Boston Society of Archi-
tects, the Children's Museum,
Harvard University Department
of Landscape Architecture,
and Water Music, Inc. The
competition rules state that
the castles should ultimately
have human scale whether
they are real or imagined
designs. The event is held at
the Steep Hill Beach near
Ipswich, Massachusetts.
A design competition can be the most effective and
rewarding way to generate a design or select a
designer, involve public participation or stimulate an
idea. Its success will be dependent on the conscien-
tious efforts of sponsor and supporters. Creative talent
abounds, just waiting to be challenged with a site,
building, park, room or concept.
page 18
Fort Mason Center
The Fort Mason Center in San
Francisco, California is a
regional cultural and educa-
tional facility located in the
Golden Gate National Recrea-
tional Center. The Fort Mason
Foundation, an independent,
non-profit organization was
established in 1976, to convert
and manage an old U.S. Army
fort of nine buildings as a
cultural facility for the creative
and performing arts. The 6
warehouse and 3 pier
buildings enclose approxi-
mately 350,000 square feet.
Renovation of the buildings
began in 1977. Since then, 40
performing arts, visual arts,
environmental education and
humanities organizations have
taken up residence in the Fort
Mason Center. Another 150
organizations rent space on a
monthly basis.
This growth created many
problems: many activities were
housed in spaces not designed
for the intended uses and
activities were not program-
matically separated into com-
patible use categories. What
was needed was a Master
Plan. Through a $20,000
National Endowment for the
Arts Grant, the Foundation
held an On-Site Charette
Competition.
There were four reasons for
the competition: The Fort
Mason Center could gain
broad public exposure; the
Center could have a number
of prominent architects
address its problems; the on-
site competition would pro-
vide a forum for public contri-
bution of ideas to the Master
Plan; and the visibility of the
competition project would
create interest and provide
the Fort Mason Foundation
credibility in the funding com-
munity. Letters of interest were
sent to all architects in the Bay
Area. An impressive list of 85
architects responded. Fifteen
were selected for personal
interviews. Eight were invited
to participate in a 3-day on-
site competition and were
given a SIOOO honorarium.
The eight design teams
worked in the same space
and the public was allowed to
visit with the architects as they
evolved their designs. The total
time elapsed from the deci-
sion to hold a competition until
the selection of a winner took
6 months.
page 19
APPENDIX 1
The following design societies may be able
to provide information concerning design
competitions:
American Institute of Architects
Competition Advisory Service
1735 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
(202) 626-7362
American Institute of Graphic Arts
Competitions Coordinator:
Nathan Gluck
Executive Director:
Deborah Trainer
1059 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10021
(212) 752-0813
American Planning Association
Executive Director:
Israel Stollman
1776 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 872-0611
American Society of Interior Designers
Communications Department
Competitions Coordinator:
Deborah Kerben
730 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10019
(212) 586-7111
American Society of Landscape Architects
Executive Director:
Edward H. Able
1900 M Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 466-7730
Industrial Design Society of America
Executive Director:
Brian Wynne
1717 N Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 466-2927
Institute of Business Designers
National Office
Public Relations Administrator:
Claudia Sloan
1155 Merchandise Mart
Chicago, Illinois 60654
(312) 467-1950
It is recommended that written request for information
be submitted to these societies, if possible.
page 20
APPENDIX 2
Cost of Competitions
Most competition costs vary according to the type of
competition format and the type of project. As with
conventional design commissions, the cost of a design
competition can be as lean or extravagant as the
sponsor's budget will allow.
Some of the items of cost for sponsors to consider
when holding a competition are as follows:
1 ) The Competition Advisory Board is usually a vol-
untary committee. Sometimes they are paid an hon-
orary fee, or on a per diem basis. All expenses are
paid directly by the sponsor.
2) The Professional Advisor can be paid on a lump
sum basis for a specific scope of services to be
rendered, or on a per diem basis with all travel,
subsistence, and other expenses reimbursed directly
by the sponsor.
3) The Jury is usually paid on a per diem basis with all
travel, subsistence, and other expenses reimbursed
directly by the sponsor.
4) Competitors may be paid or unpaid according to
the type of design competition. For open competi-
tions the competitors are usually not paid. For invited
competitions the competitors are usually paid fees
commensurate with the professional services
provided. For charette competitions the competitors
are usually paid on a cost-plus basis.
5) Awards are usually cash prizes to the winning
entry or entries. The amount of the prize money varies,
but can be estimated to be in excess of the sum that
would have been paid for similar services if con-
tracted for a normal design commission. Often the first
prize is a professional services contract with the
winner.
6) Printing and Publicity costs range from the
minimal expense of mimeographed programs and
press releases to elaborate books costing thousands
of dollars. There are additional publication costs
involved for the question-and-answer correspon-
dence, announcements of winners, the registration
form, and the final jury report. At the conclusion of the
competition, there may be a publication or a public
exhibit of the winning design.
7) Handling and Submissions will involve the costs of
storage, insurance, shipping, and display of submission
to the jury. These costs may include space rental as
well as personnel to receive, store, set up and take
down entries, to handle them during the jury delibera-
tions, and to package and return them to the
competitors.
8) For On-Site Charette Competitions sponsors must
provide work space and drafting boards for
competitors, as well as living accommodations during
the competitive event for out-of-town competitors.
page 21
APPENDIX 3
Competition Program from
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Design Competition, Portland,
Oregon
1. Introduction and History
2. Design program requirements
a. Boundaries of site
b. Circulation requirements
c. Quality and use requirements
d. Design requirements
e. Citizen Advisory Committee requirements
f. Development option
3. Site Description and Inventory
(Maps and Drawings)
4. Competition Regulations
a. Competition procedure
b. Jury of award
c. Authority of the jury
d. Professional advisor
e. Those eligible to compete
f. Compensation to competitors
g. Exhibition of drawings and models
h. Communication
i. Anonymity of drawings and models
j. Delivery of drawings and models
k. Drawings and models
I. Agreement between client and selected
designer
5. Jury of Award
6. Schedule
7. Submission Requirements
page 22
Minnesota State Capitol
Annex
The drawing of the Dellinger/
Lee Proposal displays a sensi-
tivity to the site and its sur-
rounOings which is linked to the
intentions and results of the
original Minnesota State
Capitol Plan. In 1893, when
Cass Gilbert won the first
Capitol design competition he
desired to create a building
which would do more than just
meet functional reguirements.
In the contemporary competi-
tion, a different set of compe-
tition criteria existeO which
demanded a serious appraisal
of what Cass Gilbert and
others had done to the site
and the surrounding city. The
Dellinger/Lee Proposal can be
said to reaffirm the tenets of
the Beaux-Art from which
Gilbert derived his inspiration.
page 23
Credits:
This publication was written, designed and produced by
Vision, The Center for Environmental Design and Edu-
cation under a Cooperative Agreement with the
National Endowment for the Arts, Design Arts Program.
The following persons were major contributors to the
production: Michael J. Pittas, Lance J. Brown, Joyce
Meschan, Michael Robinson, Michael Dowling, Jean
Paul Carlhian, Edward J. Halligan Jr. and Sandra
Kashdan.
Others who contributed their time, ideas, and encour-
agement are: Maureen Melville, Lois Craig, William Lehr,
Jennifer Canizares, Geri Bachman, Dennis Reeder,'and
Michael Bruce.
Vision
The Center for Environmental Design
and Education
Joyce Meschan Michael Robinson, AIA
President Vice-President
Note: The Center for Design and Education would appreciate any
contribution of information, photographs, descriptions and drawings
of other successful design competitions. This information will be cata-
logued for use in future design competition publications.
Illustration Credits
Cover photo - Michael Dowling and Michael Robinson, Vision, Inc.;
Introduction photo 19 - Michael Bruce/Denny Reeder; 1 - United
States Senate Archives; 2, 3, 12 - Michael Dowling, Vision, Inc.; 4 -
Norman McGrath; 5 - Gordon H. Schenk, courtesy of Dellinger/Lee
Associates; 6 - Provincetown Playhouse on The Wharf, Inc.; 9 - United
States Park Service; 10 - Jonathan Barkan' 14 - Al Gowan,
Cambridge Arts Council; 15 - Office of the Curator, the White House;
16 - courtesy of Gill Fishman Associates; 1 7 - Crombie Taylor, FAIA"
18 - Antonia Mendoza; 23 - Dellinger/Lee Associates.
Printed by House of Offset Typesetting by Together Graphics
Somerville, Massachusetts Cambridge, Massachusetts
page 24
Distributed by
Vision, The Center
for Environmental
Design and Education
678 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
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